Wow! Allison Epstein has provided the reader with lots of new imagery for Victorian England in her book, Fagin the Thief. A semi-new Fagin is revealed. Her in-depth characterization shows Fagin being a manipulative, cunning, greedy, corrupt man, but a "softer" side of him is developed. He does still exploit children-mostly orphans- but he also provides care, shelter and food. There is no debating that Fagin is a criminal mastermind leading a "gang" of young pickpockets in deplorable England. Sometimes his caring for these "wards" makes him a vulnerable character. To say that Fagin is a complex character is an understatement.

The author weaves the anti-Semitic portray of Fagin as well as the stereotyping of Jewish people during Victorian England into his character. At times Fagin feels unsafe in his adventures and doesn't always exhibit confidence in targeting "customers". He is know to other as "the Jew" which he feels is condescending.The darker corrupt side of Victorian England is vividly portrayed. The squalor of living conditions stands out in the novel. The only time the reader views the wealthy is through the characters Fagin targets to rob.

I would definitely recommend this novel to book clubs. The discussions could go in many different directions. This book would also be great for a literature class either in high school of college. Fagin, in both Oliver Twist and Fagin the Thief should provide lively discussions.

Thank you BookBrowse for giving me the opportunity of reading an advanced copy.

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray is an historical fiction novel. This captivating story centers around Jessie Redmond Faucet who becomes the literary editor at The Crisis magazine. The author eloquently portrays Ms. Fauset's role in discovering and nurturing Black writers, but also her challenges in a male-dominated society.
The story setting is 1919 Harlem. The novel vividly depicts the cultural and artistic explosion of the era. Kudos to the author for her meticulous and in-depth research of this time period. The author does a fantastic job of weaving the relationship of Jesse with her boss W.E.B. duBois and how this "affair" influences her life.
Ms. Murray's writing takes on race, gender issues and ambition. The characters are well-developed. The reader can actually feel the emotions and turmoil the characters experienced.
Harlem Rhapsody is a compelling read that captures the spirit of an iconic era. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in the Harlem Renaissance.
I would like to thank BookBrowse for giving me the opportunity for reading about a great era I knew next to nothing about. Powerful story!!

There are absolutely no spoilers in this review.

"The Naming Song" is not a book I would normally read. At first it was difficult to immerse myself in the story and the characters because of their unconventional names. I had several starts and stops, but in the end I really enjoyed reading this book. I am glad I went back to finish AND reread this novel.
The story begins at a period of time when a catastrophe event changed the world of words and the magic of language. Words were wiped out..all of them. We experience through the characters the struggle to get the perfect word for everything they come in contact with or experience. As in our world, their are rulers (committees), people and places to fear (the unknowns) and strange places to live (train cars).
The reader comes to really appreciate the meaning of words and language. We share common threads: our fears, expectations, the responsibility of trying to do things the right/correct way.
This book will not be "everyone"s cup of tea"but there are many readers that will feel this book will be a great literary book and will talk about it for a very long time. Jedediah Berry did a fantastic job taking the reader on a magical journey. Well written, superb characters and a storyline of magic.

Thank you to Book Browse and ARC for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

During the day she is quietly working, but invisible because she already completed her work during the nighttime hours.

The Cleaner by Brandi Wells is definitely a dark comedy. It is a story of an after hours cleaning woman in a high rise office building. The daytime occupants do not know her, but she is controlling their lives unbeknownst to them. As she cleans each desk area, she envisions the user in her own mind. What are the characteristics of each employee/employer? She determines that by going through their desk drawers, rearranging as she cleans not only their desk (inside and out) but also their emails and appointment schedules. Oh yes, she trolls their computers because they leave their passwords on a sticky note either attached to the screen or their desktop. She actually thinks she is being very helpful, directing their lives toward something good..or not so good. Ms. Cleaner's (she is not named) antics can be delightful..or not. As she keeps the office workers humming, she also keeps close eyes on the CEO of the company. You will have to wait to see what that is about.

The author's writing style for this book is unique. One main unnamed character. The quips come fast as the reader takes on the observer role, hiding in a corner. You can actually visualize the employees by the vivid descriptions. I thought the novel was fast paced and finished it in two days..couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed this book. It has one voice and it does have laugh-out-loud moments. It would be interesting to have book club members debate the morality of The Cleaner. Don't you just wonder what is actually happening in your office building at night?

I thank Brandi Wells, Hanover Square Press and BookBrowse for giving me the opportunity of reading this novel.

OMG…this book started off as a good novel...read on, and it became a mystery and...keep reading, a little bit of horror and finally a wonderful psychological thriller. I would give this book a 4.5. Bookclubs will have much to discuss about the contents of this novel.
I am going to try to stay away from the pilot other than to say it is about a woman, Anna, trying to get pregnant via IVF and what she experiences during her pregnancy. It was utterly fantastic. This book won't be for everyone but it surely delivers the suspense and twists and turns the book jacket suggests. The author spectacularly depicts the relationship women patients often have with their physicians, both male and female. How often women are dismissed by the medical professions. It is not an indictment for all physicians but as we all know many of us have experienced..."it is all in our heads syndrome" or "go home and take an aspirin".
Danielle Valentine's character development is seamless. Anna's character is melodramatic frustrating, and imaginative. Anna's husband, Dex, starts off as a determined, secretive man and progresses into someone a little less desirable. In this novel the characters show real emotions and the dialogue throughout is thoughtful and very on topic for today's audiences. The author hits pregnancy head first. Her author's note at the end of the novel is a must read.
There are many twist and turns in this novel but if you enjoy reading a book that takes you on a wild ride, this is definitely a book you absolutely must read.

Zig-Zag boy by Tanya Frank details her nineteen year-old son, Zack's, tailspin into a psychotic mental state. She writes of her son's hospitalizations, taking super-charged drugs and a defunct mental health care system in both the US and the UK and trying to get cohesive answers from the medical communities. This novel definitely depicts a mother's unwavering love for her son and the realization of her new reality concerning Zach.

It was heart-breaking to read how so very difficult it was to get answers and trying to turn over every "stone" to help your child. Whether you are a parent or not, Tanya Frank's journey in this beautifully detailed memoir has put a new face on the mental health crisis. It should force all of us to re-examine what is available to us concerning mental health issues. As a parent and a novice in this area, this novel has certainly propelled me to seek out more information.

This memoir should be a read at every book club, not only for the story-line and information, but as a precursor for all of us to realize we all need to be part of the mental health crisis solution in any way we can. Kudos to the author for bringing her story to the fore front so maybe our stories can have a different ending.

Margot by Wendell Stevenson is the story of a dysfunctional family at the closing of WW II. The characters are flawed but are relatable and real for the depicted era. ( Very relatable to me since I was born post WW II.) At the beginning of the story, Margot was a bold, daring and an inquisitive child. Her mother's criticism of everything she does, turns her into a fearful, self-doubting insecure child and adult. Her mother has a profound effect on the adult Margot. Even though her mom's marriage is a disaster, she wants Margo to "marry well." This mantra continues through out the story from childhood to adulthood. Margo, she wants to be a scientist and go to Radcliffe. Margo's self-doubt makes it difficult for her to plan, let alone attain life goals. She rather hide in a lab and be almost unremarkable; follow the crowd rather than lead it and make poor choices in both man and decisions. Margo's friends follow her from childhood into adulthood through the story. Although I saw some changes in Margo's character as the story progressed, I thought she grew very little. This did not take away from the story line at all. The other characters seem to develop more. Characterization: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The plot was easy to follow.The depiction of the era was definitely right. The distinction of class being defined primarily on economics is truly realistic.References to "having money" versus "the help" are integrated in the novel from beginning to the end. This was a typical coming of age story and was easy reading from the first chapter to the last. I felt the very last sentence in the story was not necessary..the reader had already figured out Margot's dilemma. I"m thinking Margot Book 2 is coming. Plot: 4 out of 5 stars.
The writing was well done. Maybe because it was "my era" but I felt I was back living some of my younger moments. I would definitely read a continuation of Margot"s story.
Writing: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This book was an easy read but not overly simplistic. Tanner and Louise are quirky, endearing and lovable characters. You have a twenty-one year old self-doubting woman trying to find her footing in life (Tanner) and a wise-cracking eighty-three year old, who is self-assured and breaks all kinds of rules in the name of doing the right thing (Louise).

Colleen Oakley brings you on an unconventional road trip filled with laugh-out loud antics between two characters sixty-something years apart and a cast of friends along the way. The author explores the friendship that woman have with other woman; assumptions of people based on observations only; relationships between aging parent and their children and how we all have a degree of self doubt, no matter life experiences or our age.

Tanner is the driver and Louise is the passenger in an odd-ball journey from Florida to California in which you meet well-meant characters along the way. I would absolutely recommend this book book to all ages. Tanner and Louise's journey would make a fantastic book club read.

Welcome to the Island of Hydra in the 1960's. With a mixture of fictional and non-fictional characters,Polly Samson, gives the reader a chance to step back in time to one of the most decadent times in Greece. it was a roller coaster ride throughout the book. In order to make sense of the characters I do think knowledge of the "real characters" would help the reader get a sense of what it was to live in Hydra during this time period and who the real characters were. So I don't think this book can be what I call a "cold read".

Kudos to the author for getting permission to use Leonard Cohan's material. I felt like i was there in Hydra listening to Cohen reading to a group. This made the book more authentic. The author showed that even the most talented did not have the best moral character. Quite the opposite, but Ms. Samson gave us a better inkling on what these characters were like in a story form rather than reading biographical material. Erica and Jimmy's character development grew throughout the book. Jimmy's ambition seemed to fit this era.

The author pulled you into the decadence even though the cavorting characters were hard to keep up with.

There were not clear cut answers to why the characters behaved they way they did. But outside a group of talented people, they behaved in a carefree, hippyish manner not justifying there actions to anyone and just doing what they wanted to do outside norms. If you were looking for a moral of the story you could probably add the tag line...being a muse is not all it's cracked up to be. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and during this pandemic it was great to get lost in a little history with some very famous people, no matter how outlandish I thought they were. I look forward to Ms. Samson's next book.

Before I read The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, I had no idea that JP Morgan had a personal librarian, Belle de Costa Green. In fact, I wasn't sure what the title entailed. Therefore not only is there a story behind the title but also a great education for the readers.

The authors gave the reader great insights into the emotional turmoil of that time period. Segregation gave Belle and her family few chances for economic survival. The light color of their skin gave her mother the opportunity to invented new "white"identities to give her family a chance to succeed. In taking these bold steps her mother ripped the family apart from a father whose entire life was fighting for racial equality as a black professor. Belle's father leaving the family had a profound effect on Belle through her entire life. She lived in her thoughts as a person of color but her daily life was one of always watching what she said or did so her former life would stay a secret. Belle's mother was dominant throughout the storyline. Belle experienced the "best of life" because her employer was JP Morgan. Through him, Belle became a trusted confidant and got to encounter all the best of the Gilded Age. Who knew that "libraries" could be so opulent?

The author's provided a detailed and descriptive background for the story, even though they admitted to the "fiction" part of Belle's life. The story was smooth and unless stated on the cover you would not suspect that there were two authors for this book. I found the book very informative and had no prior knowledge of Belle's story. This book can be filed under historical fiction but also of art and music. I would highly recommend this book without hesitation.

Before I read The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, I had no idea that JP Morgan had a personal librarian, Belle de Costa Green. In fact, I wasn’t sure what the title entailed. Therefore not only is there a story behind the title but also a great education for the readers.

The authors gave the reader great insights into the emotional turmoil of that time period. Segregation gave Belle and her family few chances for economic survival. The light color of their skin gave her mother the opportunity to invented new “white”identities to give her family a chance to succeed. In taking these bold steps her mother ripped the family apart from a father whose entire life was fighting for racial equality as a black professor. Belle’s father leaving the family had a profound effect on Belle through her entire life. She lived in her thoughts as a person of color but her daily life was one of always watching what she said or did so her former life would stay a secret. Belle’s mother was dominant throughout the storyline. Belle experienced the “best of life” because her employer was JP Morgan. Through him, Belle became a trusted confidant and got to encounter all the best of the Gilded Age. Who knew that “libraries” could be so opulent?

The author’s provided a detailed and descriptive background for the story, even though they admitted to the “fiction” part of Belle’s life. The story was smooth and unless stated on the cover you would not suspect that there were two authors for this book. I found the book very informative and had no prior knowledge of Belle’s story. This book can be filed under historical fiction but also of art and music. I would highly recommend this book without hesitation.

This story takes place in a small town in Ireland during one of the most turbulent periods of time. Magella is the main character and although Michelle Gallen doesn't label her, she is definitely on the autistic spectrum. She lives with her alcoholic mom in a run down neighborhood and house. Magella has experienced much trauma in her 27 years. She doesn't know whether her father is dead or alive, but presumed dead. Her father's mother has been brutally murdered and the reader is left wondering if it is related to her father as the police continue to investigate. Surprisingly with everything Magella has endured and with her disability, her character slowly develops throughout the story. By the end of the book, the reader becomes hopeful that Magella will do much more than survive.

Magella! Her autism is revealed through snippets. She is awkward with people. Does not like to go to crowded places or streets. She doesn't look anyone in the eye during conversations. She answers in one or two words. She dislikes changing or new situations. She has a difficult time trying to gage people's emotions. She doesn't like change. As the story proceeded, Magella was learning how to cope with some situations in better ways in spite of her egocentric mother.

The pace of the book was slowly developed in the first half of the book. The chapters are short and dated and titled by what Magella likes or doesn't like. Spoiler alert: dislikes out way the likes. The only part of this book that I felt was humorous was the nicknames of the customers and how they got them. But overall, I found the story to be sad. Although Magella had a few people looking out for her best interest, I felt she was taken advantage of because of her disability.

Ms. Gallen's descriptions of the era of Protestants vs. Catholic is well depicted. Using the natural language of that era and descriptions, you felt what it was like living in a small town. I thought the story was well-written and the character development was excellent. Although this book will not make my favorite list, I would be willing to read another book by a talented Michelle Gallen.

Perfect novel for today's discussions about climate control and wildlife extention. The characters were well-written and developed throughout the story. The main character, Franny, was obsessive and determined in her manipulation to achieve a tribute to her husband, Niall. Throughout her journey, she is haunted by her past traumas. The imagery was well-written and it made the reader feel they were actually on this ship journey with the crew experiencing the rough seas and human toll. The ending was a surprise for me. This is a book I would highly recommend and it is sure to be a bookclub favorite. So many facets for discussion.

The prisoner's wife is a riveting and page turning story about two young lovers starting their life together in a most extraordinary way, a POW camp. The author's research is very apparent throughout the book. As a result, the visual description and imagery are key to the story. The long march through the ice and snow, the camp conditions, the guards ruthlessness, the group of protective prisoners, will have the readers feeling they are part of this unbelievable tale. A good book makes the reader a watcher of the story being told; and excellent book has the reader experiencing the book with the characters. The writer has you feeling the despair of almost giving up, the one square of chocolate melting in your mouth, the thirst and hunger of each prisoner, The Prisoner's Wife is that excellent book!

Maggie's Brooke's set up her chapters in alternating voices which actually makes a smoother reading of the story. This true tale is an historian's delight. Whether you read this book for for the historical value or for the love story, you will find yourself immersed in the many unfolding characters. Kudos to Ms. Brooke for letting the reader experience both the sadness and joy of these special characters. Definitely a best seller!!

It took me some time to get into this book, but having read Katrina Bivald's other novel,(The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend) I figured that out by the time I got to Chapter Three. At the beginning of the story her characters are what I call "threadbare". As the story develops, each character gets more definition and the reader feels more comfortable with the characters and the book becomes a "can't put this down book".The novel begins with the death of Heddy, which is stated in the very first sentence: " My funeral begins in an hour." Through Heddy, we begin to learn more about each character and their best qualities; the definition of true friendship and how a community can sometimes define your life. The author's attention to details makes you feel like you are right there in the state of Oregon experiencing the smells and sounds of the forests and Pine Away Motel. I would highly recommend this book not only for the characterization or the setting but because it brings LGBT issues to the forefront. Maybe you will even learn a little more about yourself.